Figure skater Petr Gumennik shared his thoughts and emotions that accompanied him before the Russian Grand Prix Final.
According to the athlete, one of the unexpected difficulties was not the intensity of his worries, but rather their absence. “Difficulties, of course, were present. Today, I was worried because, on the contrary, I was worrying too little. Usually, a few days before a start, I mentally go through all possible scenarios in my head, but this time, preparation was surprisingly calm,” Gumennik explained.
He also mentioned that before stepping onto the ice for his short program, he mentally revisited the image of a performance at the “Milan Olympics,” visualizing a perfect skate. “I imagined Milan, and everything worked out perfectly there. Here, doubts reappeared; it was challenging to quickly refocus on a new competition shortly after such a mental performance,” the skater noted.
The 23-year-old Petr Gumennik confidently secured first place in the short program of the Russian Grand Prix Final, earning 103.62 points. The competition is taking place in Chelyabinsk from March 4 to 9.
It is also noted that Gumennik is aiming for a sixth-place finish at the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, where he expects to achieve a total score of 271.21 points across both the short and free programs.